You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better defensive team in the country than Billy Donovan’s Gators. They are third in the nation in points allowed per game with 57.9. Only fellow No. 1 seed Virginia and San Diego State are better in that category than Florida. What makes Florida so good on the defensive end is their ability to adapt and adjust. They can press, they can zone, they can play interior defense that takes away a big-man threat. Add superb shot-making to that by the likes of SEC Player of the Year Scottie Wilbekin (13.0 ppg) and you’ve got a nice recipe for success.

Dark Horse
Ohio State

A team that made it to the final four of the Big Ten Tournament? Yes, believe it. In a region that is rife with defense — from Florida to Syracuse to Pittsburgh to UCLA — the Buckeyes might have the best defensive player in senior guard Aaron Craft. Yes, he has some offensive liabilities, but the pressure he is able to create on the ball against opponents (and help create for his teammates) is unlike most players in this tournament. Plus, it’s hard to bet against a senior who has made it to the Sweet 16, Final Four and Elite Eight in his first three seasons in a Ohio State uniform.

Player You Know
Joel Embiid, C, Kansas

He’s pretty much the guy that the Jayhawks are pinning their hopes on this month. The 7-foot freshman sensation from Cameroon has been out of the Kansas lineup for the last four games because of back issues. Over that span, Kansas is allowing an average of 78.2 points a game —almost a full eight points more than their season average. Head coach Bill Self has been coy about Embiid’s status for the last two weeks. If he plays, it could be a game-changer in favor of Kansas. If not? Well, the Jayhawks will have to figure out another path through the tournament.

Player You’ll Know
Jacob Parker, F, Stephen F. Austin

You’re bound to get some attention when your team wins 28 consecutive games, but amazingly the junior forward from Bixby, Okla., hasn’t. But there’s a really good chance that the tournament could be his coming out party. Parker averages 14.2 points and 7.1 rebounds (second on his team in both categories) is a a load to handle despite being undersized. He’s very much in the mold of Saint Louis’ Dwayne Evans, who is an undersized power forward, with scoring touch away from the basket. Parker is shooting 54.3 percent from the floor this season.

One More Thing
Syracuse’s home-cooking

Despite fading down the stretch of the season — they finished the year 2-5, despite beginning it 25-0 — the Orange got some nice perks for being the third seed in the South Regional. Jim Boeheim’s team could play its first two games at a Buffalo arena, which is just 150 miles from its campus. That’s not too bad, especially considering how Syracuse nation travels.